Washing machine



G. w. DUNHAM WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 61, 1941 April 18, 1944.

l l 36 -./Iv\ver1to`= George Dunham, by )Vn/176. MAM v Lvmww/Vvuvvv u A 3 l-hs Attorney.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 WASHING MACHINE I George W. Dunham, Westport, Conn., assi-gnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 31, 1941, Serial No. 425,165

15 Claims.

The present invention relates to washing machines of the type in which clothes are washed i and centrifugally dried in a single tub.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in washing machines of this type, and fora consideration of what I believe novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a washing machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the agitator crankshaft and drive.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a washing machine having an outer casing or tank I seated on the upper edge of a supporting skirt 2 and having its upper end closed by a cover 3. In the upper part of the casing is a rotatable clothes receptacle or spinner basket 4 having imperforate side walls 5 aring outward toward the top and terminating in an inwardly extending clothes retaining rim 6. At the region of greatest diameter the side walls are provided with centrifugal discharge openings I which during washing also serve as overflow openings defining the liquid level. The receptacle 4 is supported in a combined balance ring and carrier having relatively heavy annular side walls 8 surrounding the receptacle side walls and connected by spaced radial arms 9 to a flange III at the lower end of a hub II non-rotatably seated on a reduced section I2 at the upper end of a tubular shaft I3. The receptacle side walls have a friction fit within the carrier sidewalls 8 so the receptacle and balance ring rotate as a unit upon rotation of the shaft I3. f The carrier vhub II extends through a rubberbushing I4 in the bottom of the receptacle which prevents leakage. Removal of the receptacle from the carrier is prevented by a snap ring I5. Within .the receptacle is a vertically reciprocable agitator having a hub I6 slidably surrounding the carrier hub II and having a suction cup I'I xed to its lower end. The upper end of the agitator hub I6 is xed at I8 to the upper end of a tubular agitator shaft Ig guided in the receptacle shaft I3 by a bearing 2 During the operation of the washing machine the agitator shaft I9 is reciprocated through a stroke of the order of 11/2" and at a rate of the order of 250 reciprocations per minute for washing, and the receptacle drive shaft I3 is rotated at a speed of the order of 1200 revolutions per minute for centrifugal drying by driving mechanism located within a spherical casing 2| at the bottom of the outer casing. The spherical casing 2I, which comprises upper and lower parts 22 and 23, the upper part 22 being xed `to the lower end of the receptacle drive shaft I3 which is journaled in a sleeve 24 extending up from the bottom of the outer casing by means of a sleeve bearing 25 between the upper endv of the sleeve 24 and the receptacle drive shaft I3 and by means of a tapered roller thrust bearing 26 arranged between the lower end of the sleeve 24 and a sleeve 2'I projecting from the upper vhousing part 22. With this construction the receptacle 4, the receptacle drive shaft I3, and the housing 2I for the driving mechanism are all supported and guided in the sleeve 24 by bearings 25 and 26. The upper end of the sleeve 24 extends above the maximum water level in the outer casing and into a recess 28 in the lower end of the carrier hub II so that leakage of water between the shaft I3 and the bearing 25 is effectively prevented. Leakage between the lower end of the sleeve 24 and the bottom of the outer casing I is prevented by a exible rubber seal 21a sealed at its upper end to the sleeve 24 by a clamp 2lb and sealed at its lower end to the bottom of the outer casing I by a clamping ring 2'Ic.

The driving mechanism, which is mounted on the lower housing part 23, is driven by an electric motor 29, supported on the skirt 2, through a V-belt 30, a pulley 3I fixed to the motor shaft, and a pulley 32 xed to a vertical shaft 33 journaled in the lower housing part 23. Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 33 within the housing 2l is a bevel gear 34 meshing with a bevel gear 35 fixed to a crankshaft 36 by means of a projection 31 on the gear fitting in a drilled hole 38 in the crank arm 39. The crankshaft is supported on. the inner ends of pins 40 pressed into bosses 4I on the lower housing part 23 by means of bearings 42 seated in recesses 43 in the crankshaft. The crank arm 39 is connected to the agitator shaft I9 by means of a Scotch yoke comprising a cross head 44 fixed to the lower end of the agitator shaft and a slide 45 journaled on the crank arm. During washing, the housing 2l is held stationary by means of a brake comprising a ring 46 guided on diametrically opposed studs 41 at the lower end of a supporting member 48 depending through an opening in the bottom wall of the outer casing and having a supporting ange 48a at the top beneath the clamping ring 2'Ic. At the inner edge of the ring 46 is a spherical surface 49 concentric with the spherical housing 2I and carrying friction material 50 coon the lower housing part 23.

operating with the spherical braking surface 52 Around both of the studs 41 are compression springs 5| which urge the brake upwardly into contact with the braking surface, and around one of the studs is a spacing washer 53. The brake is controlled by a lever 54 pivoted on a bracket 55 on the bottom wall of the outer casing and having its outer end projecting through a slot 56 in the skirt 2 and terminating in a handle 51. The inner end of the lever 54 engages the upper end of a slide 58 guided on the support 48 and having its lower end cooperating with the brake 46. By lifting the handle 51, the slide 58 is depressed to pivot the brake 46 downward about the washer 53 and move the brake clear of the braking surface 52. Upon releasing the handle 51, the springs 5| move the brake against the braking surface 52.

While the housing 2| is held stationary by the brake 46, the crankshaft 36 is rotated through the bevel gears 34 and 3,5, causing vertical reciprocation of the agitator shaft |9 at a'rate of 250 strokes a minute and through a stroke of the order of 11/2 inch. Upon release of the brake 46, the housing 2| is no longer held stationary and tends to rotate due to the torque reaction between the bevel gears 34 and 35. While the .housing 2| is rotating under the torque reaction,

the agitator continues its reciprocation, although at a somewhat lower rate, and the receptacle shaft I3 rotates with` the housing 2|. As soon as the speed of rotation of the housing 2| exceeds a few hundred R. P. M., the housing 2| is directly coupled to the pulley 32 by means of a centrifugal clutch diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2. The centrifugal clutch comprises weights 59 pivoted on studs 60 on the lower housing part 23 and retracted against stops 6| -by tension springs 62. When the centrifugal force acting on the weights 59 overcomes the retracting force of the tension springs 62, the weights fly outward, bringing the outer ends 63, which are faced with frictional material 64, into engagement with a clutch surface 65 integral with the driving pulley 32. While there is some slippage between the friction material 64 and the surface 65, the housing 2| is rapidly-accelerated to the speed of the pulley 32 which in the present machine is 1200 R. P. M. During the acceleration of the housing 2| the speed of reciprocation of the agitator decreases as the speed of rotation of the receptacle correspondingly increases until the reciprocation of the agitator ceases as the receptacle is rotated at its full extracting speed. At the end of the centrifugal extracting operation the receptacle 4 is brought to rest by releasing the handle 51 and thereby causing the application of the brake 46. During the deceleration of the receptacle, the driving motor 29 is stopped and, since the housing 2| and the pulley 32 are coupled together by the centrifugal clutch, the housing and pulley are decelerated together and there is accordingly no reciprocation of the agitator shaft until the centrifugal clutch is released, after which there may be some reciprocation of the agitator shaft due to the inertia of the pulley. The reciprocation of the agitator during the initial stages-of the acceleration of the receptacle and during the final stages of the deceleration of the receptacle does not have any harmful effect on the operation of the machine.

While the receptacle is rotating at its extractv ing speed. vibration due to unbalanced distribution of the clothes is reduced by resiliently supporting the receptacle for gyratory movement so that it may rotate about its center of mass. 'Ihe resilient support for the receptacle comprises a rubber ring 66 confined between a flange 61 at the lower end of a spherical member 68 fixed to the sleeve 24 and a flange 69 on a ring 10 clamped between the clamping ring 21c and the bottom Wall of the outer casing. The spherical member 88 rests on friction members 1| on a spherical surface 12 rising from the inner edge of the support 48. The weight of the receptacle and contents is transmitted through the sleeve 24 to the spherical surface 12 through the spherical member 68 and the friction members 1|. The friction between the spherical member 68 and the friction members 1| laccordingly frictionally resists tilting of the axis of rotation of the receptacle, and this frictional resistance is effective to damp vibration and also t0 prevent gyroscopic vibration or precession. The rubber ring 66 being confined between the flanges 61 and 69 resiliently opposes tilting of the axis of rotation of the receptacle from the central position illustrated. The rubber ring '66 does, however, permit some tilting of the axis of rotation of the receptacle so that the receptacle during extracting will rotate very nearly about its center of mass and vibration due to unbalanced distribution of clothes in the receptacle will be decreased. The rubber ring 66 is preferably Vproportioned so that the critical speed of the receptacle is substantially below the normal extracting speed. In the present machine the critical speed is ofthe order of R.' P. M., while the extracting speed is 1200 R.. P. M. The friction damping obtained from the friction members 1| is effective in reducing the amplitude of vibration at the critical speed, and accordingly assists in bringing the machine up through the critical speed to the normal extracting speed.

The above described construction produces a compact arrangement of the drivingmechanlsm, the resilient support, and the friction damper. The driving mechanism is contained within a spherical housing 2| arranged within and. con

sphericentric with the spherical member A|58, th cal surface 12, and the brake 46. Since he driving mechanism occupies a minimum of space, 1t can be made relatively light and accordingly will have a minimum of reaction on the bearings 25 'and 26 during the extracting operation when it gyrates with the receptacle. The friction damper l6B, 1 I, the resilient support 66-69, and the brake 46 are compactly arranged about the casing 2 In the use of the machine the receptacle 4 1s nlled with liquid and clothes and the motor 29 is started while the parts are in the position illustrated. In this position' the brake 46 holds the rotatable housing 2| stationary so that the agitator |1 is vertically reciprocated to wash the clothes by the crankshaft 36 through the bevel gears 34 and 35. When the clothes are washed the handle 51 is lifted, depressing the slide 58 to release the brake 48, and the casing 2| and receptacle 4 start to rotate due to the torque reaction between the gears 34 and 35 while the agitator continues its reciprocation at a correspondingly reduced rate. When the speed of rotation of the casing 2| reaches a few hundred R. P. M., the casing is directly coupled to the driving pulley 32 by the centrifugal clutch weight 55, after which the receptacle is rapidly accelerated to its normal extracting speed while the rate of reciprocation of the agitator decreases until it finally stops entirely when the receptacle is up to speed. During extracting, liquid in the receptacle is discharged through centrifugal discharge openings 'l and is stored in the bottom of the outer casing below the recept-acle. At the conclusion of the centrifugal extracting operation, the motor 29is stopped and the handle 51 is released, permitting application of the brake 46 by the springs 5| to stop the receptacle.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a washing machine, a receptacle rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical tubular driveshaft therefor, a vertically reciprocable agitator in the receptacle, an agitator drive shaft within the tubular shaft, a rotatable frame fixed to said tubular shaft, a power driving member journaled in the frame, a crank for reciprocating the agitator shaft journaled in the frame, a driving gear for said crank journaled in the frame and driven by rotation of the driving member relative to the frame, and means selectively holding said frame stationary whereby said driving gear 1s driven or coupling the frame to said driving member whereby the receptacle is rotated.

2. In a washing machine, a receptacle rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical tubular drive shaft therefor, a reciprocable agitator in the receptacle, an agitator drive shaft within the tubular shaft, a rotatable frame fixed to said tubular shaft, a power driving member journaled in the frame, a crank for reciprocating the agitator shaft journaled in the frame, a driving gear for said crank journaled in the frame and driven by rotation of the driving member relative to the frame, a brake fory holding said frame stationary whereby said driving gear is driven, anda centrifugal clutch carried by said frame for coupling the frame to said member whereby the receptacle is rotated.

3. In a washing machine, a support, a rotatable clothes receptacle, means including a sleeve in which the receptacle is journaled for resiliently supporting the receptacle for gyratory movement relative to the support, said`sleeve being supported for tilting in all directions about a point, driving mechanism for the receptacle including planetary gearing carried on a rotatable frame, means including a thrust bearing rotatably supporting said frame on and journaling said frame in said sleeve, whereby the frame tilts with the sleeve, and cooperating spherical braking surfaces for controlling said gearing concentric with said point.

4. In a Washing machine, a support, a sleeve supported thereon for tilting in all directions about a point, a shaft journaled in and supported by the sleeve, a rotatable receptacle on the shaft,

planetary driving mechanism including a rotatable frame xed to the shaft and having a spherical braking surface concentric with said point, and a brake for controlling said mechanism mounted on said support.

5. In a Washing machine, a support having an upwardly presented spherical friction surface, a vertical sleeve having its lower end seated on said surface whereby tilting of the sleeve is frictionally resisted, means resiliently centering the sleeve on said support, a rotatable clothes receptacle journaled in and supported by said sleeve, driving mechanism for said receptacle, and a housing for said mechanism supported by said sleeve.

6. In a washing machine, a support having an upwardly presented spherical friction surface, a vertical sleeve having its lower end seated on said surface whereby tilting of the sleeve is frictionfally resisted, means resiliently centering the sleeve on said support, a rotatable clothes receptacle journaled in and vsupported by said sleeve, agitating means in said receptacle, driving mechanism for said receptacle and said agitating means includ- 7. In a washingmachine, a support having an upwardly presented hollow spherical friction surface, a vertical sleeve having its lower end seated on said surface whereby tilting of the sleeve is frictionally resisted, means resiliently centering the sleeve on said support, a rotatable clothes receptacle journaled in and supported by said sleeve, agitating means inl the receptacle, driving mechanism for said receptacle and said agitating means comprising a rotatable housing, planetary gearing on said housing, means including a thrust bearing journaling and supporting said housing in said sleeve within said hollow spherical surface, and a brake on said support cooperating with said housing.

8. In a washing machine, a support, a rotatable clothes receptacle, a sleeve in which the receptacle is journaled for resiliently supporting the receptacle for gyratory movement relative to the support, a tubular receptacle drive shaft in said sleeve, washing means in the receptacle, planetary gearing for selectively operating said washing means and rotating the receptacle, said planetary gearing being enclosed in a rotatable housing fixed to said tubular shaft, and means including a thrust bearing rotatably-supporting said housing on and journaling said housing in said sleeve.

9. In a washing machine, a support having an upwardly presented spherical friction surface, a vertical sleeve having its lower end seated on said surface, means resiliently centering the sleeve on said support, a rotatable clothes receptacle journaled in and supported by said sleeve, washing means in the receptacle', planetary gearing for selectively operating said washing means and rotating the receptacle, said planetary gearing being enclosed in a rotatable housing connected to vthe receptacle, and means including a thrust bearing rotatably supporting said housing on and journaling said housing in said sleeve.

10. In a washing machine, a vertical sleeve, means resiliently supporting the sleeve for gyratory movement, a rotatable clothes receptacle journaled in and supported by said sleeve, washing means in the receptacle, planetary gearing for selectively operating said washing means and rotating the receptacle, said planetary gearing being enclosed-in a rotatable housing connected to the receptacle, and means including a thrust bearing rotatably supporting said housing on and journaling said housing in said sleeve.

11. In a washing machine, a rotatable clothes receptacle, a tubular drive shaft therefor, an agitator in the receptacle, an agitator drive shaft within said tubular shaft, planetary gearing for selectively-oscillating the agitator and. rotating the receptacle, said planetary gearing being carried in a rotatable housing split into upper and lower parts, the upper part being xed to said tubular shaft, and the lower part carrying gearing fixed to the agitator shaft.

12. In a washing machine, a spinner basket having associated washing devices for washingclothes therein, driving mechanism for operating said washing devices enclosed within a rotatable gear casing, means for connecting said gear casing to the spinner basket to rotate thespinner basket for centrifugal drying whereby the gear casing and spinner basket rotate in unison, and

mean-s resiliently supporting the spinner basket and gear casing for gyratory movementvas a unit during centrifugal drying, the stiffness of said supporting means being such that the critical speed due to such supporting means is substantially below the centrifugal drying speed.

13. In a single tub washer and drier, a tub, a spinner basket therein for receiving clothes to be washed and centrifugally dried, provisions for washing clothes in the spinner basket and for rotating the spinner basket to centrifugally dry the clothes including driving mechanism having a spherical gear casing rotatable during centrifugal drying and stationary during Washing, a shaft connecting the housing and spinner basket for rotating the spinner basket during centrifugal drying, and means resiliently supporting the gear casing, shaft and spinner basket for gyratory movement as a unit during centrifugal drying.

14. In a washing machine, a spinner basket,v

washing means associated therewith, gearing for operating said washing means and for rotating the spinner basket for centrifugal drying, said gearing being carried in a gear casing rotatable with the spinner basket during centrifugal drying, and means resiliently supporting the spinner basket and gear casing for gyratory movement as a unit during centrifugal drying, the stiffness of said supporting means being such that the critical speed due to such supporting means is substantially below the centrifugal drying speed.

15. In a washing machine, a support, a rotatable clothes receptacle, means including a sleeve in which the receptacle is journaled for resiliently supporting the receptacle for gyratory movement relative to the support, said sleeve being supported for tilting in all directions about a point, means frictionally resisting tilting of the sleeve, driving mechanism for the receptacle including planetary gearing carried in a rotatable housing, means supporting the housing for tilting with the sleeve, and cooperating brake surfaces for controlling said gearing, said brake surfaces being concentric with said point and arranged between said housing and said support.

GEORGE W. DUNHAM. 

